In the general field of workpiece transfer devices, many applications arise in which it is required to transfer workpieces in a generally horizontal direction from one location to another, and in which it is further required that at the ends of the horizontal stroke, it is required to lift and then lower the workpieces through a true vertical stroke for a significant fraction of the horizontal stroke, as in loading and unloading fixtures and pallets.
It is one object of this invention to provide a fully mechanical transfer mechanism capable of lifting one or more workpieces through a true vertical stroke a first distance, then carrying said workpieces in a generally horizontal direction for a second distance, and then lowering said workpieces through a true vertical stroke equal to said first distance, where said first distance is a significant fraction of said second distance, such as approximately 15%.
Other applications arise in which it is desired to lift and lower the workpieces in a predetermined non-vertical path at the ends of a generally horizontal transfer stroke, as in by-passing an obstruction or in traversing a specified loading path into a fixture.
It is another object of this invention to provide a fully mechanical transfer mechanism which is capable of lifting a workpiece from a fixture or other comparable device in a generally vertical direction but following a predetermined non-vertical path, then transferring said workpiece in a generally horizontal direction and finally lowering said workpiece in a generally vertical direction but following a second predetermined path which need not be identical with the first such path.
These and other objects and features of the invention will be apparent in the following description and claims in which the invention is described and details are provided to enable a person skilled in the art to make and use the invention, all in connection with the best mode presently contemplated for the practice of the invention.